The present invention relates to a shoe construction with improved comfort. Throughout the years, shoes have been made lighter, more durable and more comfortable. Numerous patents have been issued relating to structures attempting to accomplish this goal. Typically, some comfort has been achieved by the addition of cushioning to a shoe construction, for example, the providing of foam or gel pad inserts and foam or gel inserts. Gels have been used for comfort, particularly shock absorption for impact, for example, during running or exercising. Numerous combinations of components have been used in shoes to provide comfort. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,677 that shows a multi-layered structure providing various foam members in the heel, the forefoot and midfoot regions of the shoe. The shoe uses a foam cushion 58 and a foam composite structure 48, the first being located in the heel area and the second being located in the midfoot and forefoot portions of the shoe. The foam 48 is perforated and lies directly on the outsole. A liner is also provided in the forefoot area. A fiberboard portion 16 is also provided under the arch area of the shoe. The flexibility of the front portion of the shoe would be affected by the thickness of outsole which appears to be relatively thick. The foam layer 58 is disclosed as being about 3/16 inch thick except in the heel area where the foam is about 5/16 inch thick. The foam layer 48 is disclosed as being about ⅛ inch thick to about 3/16 inch thick. Holes 54 can be provided to influence the compression characteristics of the foam layer and are disclosed as being provided over the entire area of the foam layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,196 discloses an insole construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,790 discloses a flexible sole with a cushioned ball and/or heel region.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,204 discloses a shock absorbing insole, a method for preparing the insole that contains shock absorbing composite structure in the ball, heel or both sections of the shoe with the composite structure being composed of a polymer having greater shock absorbing properties and surface tack than the polymer employed in the molded heel and arch section.
Numerous other patents disclose various aspects of shoe construction.
While many improvements have been made, there is still a need for an improved light weight shoe construction particularly useful in women's shoes which require the same functionality as men's shoes, but typically with thinner construction and lighter weight.